Many regimens have been used over the years to remove human hair from areas of the skin where it grows from roots located in hair follicles. The most common, approach is shaving the face and neck using a sharpened blade or an electric razor. Alternatives include depilation, electrolysis, epilation, plucking and the topical application of various chemical agents to alter the character of beard hair growth.
Each of these procedures has its own draw backs. Shaving can cause nicks in the skin especially if the individual suffers from acne, pseudo-folliculitis or other condition in which the surface of the skin is not flat. Depilation, while effective, is unsuitable for daily use because of the potential for skin irritation caused by the chemical agents employed in the process. Epilation, involving the application of hot wax or other epilating agents is painful when the hair is stripped away with the solidified epilating agent. Plucking of individual hairs is likewise a painful as well as time consuming process. Electrolysis, generally effective, can be an expensive, time consuming process involving discomfort and the possibility of scarring. The topical application of the various chemical agents described in the prior art to alter beard hair growth require that a composition, suitably formulated for the purpose, be employed in a regimen separate from the daily shaving routine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,916 describes process for inactivating the hair follicle, bringing about the longterm inhibition of hair growth. The process comprises first mechanically or chemically removing the hair from the skin by, for example, hot waxing or the use of a mechanical device to avulse the hair from its follicle. The hair growth-promoting properties of the follicle are then inactivated by any of a plurality of methods including (1) the use of photosensitizers such as porphyrins followed by exposure to light, (2) the application of mild toxins such as peroxides and iodine-releasing agents and (3) the application of electric current.